BAIS Soldiers Involved in Acid Attack on Andrie Yunus Avoid Dismissal from Military Service
The Military High Court has overturned the dismissal sentence for members of the TNI Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) Headquarters Detachment who were defendants in the acid-spraying attack against the External Vice Coordinator of the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), Anderm Yunus.
The appellate court has amended the decision of Military Court II-08 Jakarta, Number: 70-K/PM II-08/AL/2026, dated 10 June 2026. According to the Case Tracking Information System (SIPP) of Military Court II-08 Jakarta, the court formally accepted the appeal filed by defendants Edi Sudarko, Budhi Hariyanto Widhi Cahyono, Nandala Dwi Prasetya, and Sami Lakka.
Defendant I, Sergeant Edi Sudarko, was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison. Defendant II, Lieutenant Budhi Hariyanto Widhi, received a 2-year sentence. Defendant III, Captain Nandala Dwi Prasetyo, was sentenced to 2 years, and Defendant IV, Lieutenant Sami Lakka, received 1 year and 6 months in prison. The judges ruled that the time spent in detention would be deducted from their total sentences and ordered that the defendants remain in custody.
Previously, the lower court had imposed a heavier sentence on Defendant I (3 years) and Defendant II (2 years and 6 months), both of whom acted as the executors of the acid attack. The lower court had also imposed the additional penalty of dismissal from military service for the two primary executors.
Andrie Yunus was attacked by BAIS soldiers on the night of 12 March 2026, shortly after recording a podcast at the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) office regarding the ‘Remilitarisation & Judicial Review of the TNI Law’.
The Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) has described the appeal verdict as evidence of a ‘miscarriage of justice’. They argued that the reversal of the dismissal penalty and the relatively light prison sentences demonstrate the ongoing impunity of the military through the military court system. Jane Rosalina Rumpia from KontraS noted that the verdict’s ambiguity regarding the status of the dismissal penalty raises serious concerns that the military court serves as an infrastructure for protecting its own members.
As of mid-August, Andrie Yunus has undergone three eye surgeries and four plastic surgeries following the attack five months ago. Medical testimony presented in court indicated that the acid caused approximately 40 per cent damage to the stem cells of his right cornea, severely impacting his vision. While doctors hope to save his sight, he currently suffers from significant vision loss and has undergone skin grafts to treat burns covering a portion of his right side.